Who is stronger?
by Viresse
Summary: Elrohir is mad about a gossip. Elladan and Elrohir centered.


**Who is stronger?**

disclaimer: All LotR characters are not mind, I just borrow them to fill my imaginations.

summary: Elrohir is mad about a gossip. It is Elladan and Elrohir centered.

A/N: this is my first fanfict. Strangely it's a LotR story, I always thought I'll post an X-men story first. Anyhow, this is a one-shot. English is not my first language, so please forgive any grammatical mistakes I've made.

background information: Both Elladan and Elrohir are adults in this story, though I have not fixed a time about when it exactly took place.

dedication: to everyone I love. (Happy Birthday my love and my sister)

&&&&&

Few shades of white clouds are traveling on the light blue sky. A fresh and gentle breeze is slowly passing through the trees' canopies, sounds of green leaves rushing softly in the air are like melodic symphonies. It is such a beautiful day to gather with friends and bring cheers and laughter. Three elfings in Rivendell are certainly enjoying the day; playing, jumping and hipping around in one of the gardens for hours. When they finally decided to take some rest, one of them brings up the question that is always tapping in her head.

"I wonder why Elladan always come back home getting hurt but not Elrohir." A little girly voice said on a few branches up a beech.

"Because Elrohir is stronger." A boyish sound replies.

"It seems so. I once saw Elrohir practicing his weapons, he's so skillful!" Another boy with a lower voice said in astonishment.

"Yea, I saw that too. He can even fight with two knives." The girl sounded admiringly.

"Poor Elrohir must fight so hard to look after his weaker brother then." The young boy stated seriously.

"But I don't understand. I was at the warriors' competition a _yeni_ ago. Both Elladan and Elrohir got their championship because they couldn't beat either one down. Maybe Elladan is as good as Elrohir." The other boy stated.

The young boy narrowing his eyes facing his two companions, "That only means Elrohir is just too kind."

Not getting the boy's comment, his two companions both ask "Why?"

"You see, Elrohir cares about his brother so much but he knows Elladan will feel bad if he loses in an open competition to his own twin, so Elrohir reserves his strength in the competition, then Elladan will not be defeated and they can both win."

"Oh, right!" The girl quickly accepted the reason while the other boy also agrees and said "It makes sense."

&&&&&

The conversations go on and on, but the spying elf can no longer hear any of that as he is storming off angrily away from the beeches. 'Make sense? What make sense?' The dark hair elf said to himself. Deep in the elf's heart, he knows that the conversations are just elfings blather, he should not take it seriously or feel angry but he just can't. 'How can they get it wrong? Elladan is weaker?' The elf laughs sarcastically.

Running a few miles away, he feels heat covering him, energy boiled and spent, he halts at a willow and climbs up to its top branches. He's angry – not angry with those nonsense elfings, but himself. He hates himself for not able to protect his twin from harm ways. Elrohir stares at the fair plain ahead, where the blue sky and green forest match. His frown ceased and unconsciously recalling the accident just a day earlier.

&&&&&

Elrohir is slashing and kicking around the field. All his reflexes are going so quick as if by instincts. He cannot see his swords but the light and wind produce from its swings. The sounds of metal clutches never stop. Elrohir stabs hard into an Orc's chest, not waiting to see it falls, he raises his arm and keeps on killing other foes before him.

He can hear the pull of bowstrings and a wave of arrows fly. Elrohir steals a side way glance and his heart arches when he sees two of his comrades fall. He can hear his brother, not far from his right, shouting orders to other elves to take down the archers.

Elladan sees his twin fighting more frantically than ever; it is something that always worries him while in the middle of a battle. Elrohir always seems to enjoy himself too much in a fight and not taking too much care to his surroundings.

While Elladan moves closer to his brother planning to cover his back, suddenly, he sees a mad Warg rushing across the field. The Warg is roaring painfully and his head is shaking at all angles. Elladan can see Warg blood bleeding freely from where its tail used to be, obviously cut by an elf who wish to kill this foul beast but just able to cut off its tail. Yelling in pain, the Warg lost all sense and hit at everyone he saw, no matter they are elves or Orcs. The mad Warg is now racing closer towards the Elrohir's back. Elladan knows that he can easily dance away from this mad Warg, but it'll be too late for Elrohir to notice and flee before the Warg hit him. Elladan made the most sensible action in this mind; quickly abandoned his own fight and rush blindly to Elrohir's side and trying to push him out of harm ways.

&&&&&

Elrohir is too focus on his fight with his foes and is totally unprepared when he is being strongly pushed to the side. Elrohir stumbles a few steps to his left before losing his balance and falls to the ground. As Elrohir's mind is still deep in confusion, he senses a big furry beast storms dangerously close by his side and crushing everything alongside it. Then there is a loud scream that sounds the same as Elrohir's. Elrohir's heart freezes beating, a breath is abruptly held at the tip of this tongue. He turns his head widely just in time to catch a body flying in the air before hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

'No' Elrohir's eye goes wide. "NO!" Elrohir quickly raises and runs pass the now fallen Warg where three elven arrows protrude from its body. On its side lay two dead Orcs who was just fighting before Elrohir a minute ago. Their expressions are shocked and their bodies are smashed. Elrohir can barely aware of these dead bodies. All he can think of now is his brother, who now lies on the ground not moving.

Elrohir halts when he is only a few steps away from his brother. The dark hair of the fallen elf is either spreading across the ground or covering his pale face. A pile of blood is slipping from its back. A thousand thoughts now swim in Elrohir's head. 'Is he dead?' Elrohir shakes his head quickly as if to banish his dark thoughts. He moves and knees down besides the now unconscious Elladan, a shaking hand swipes the hair from his twin's face, then slowly slides to his neck and check for a pulse. Elrohir release his long held breath when he finds the steady by slow heartbeats.

What happen next is all a blur to Elrohir, he does not remember how he treats his brother's injuries and how long it takes to get home. He hardly remembers handing Elladan's prone body to his father Elrond who then carefully examines Elladan in the healing chamber. Elrohir does not remember how long he has been sitting by his brother's side, all the time holding his almost freezing hand.

Elrond notices his younger twin's restlessness and worries. After telling him that Elladan will be fine and will not wake until later that day, Elrond suggests, in a command tone, that Elrohir to take a walk in the garden and push him away from the healing wing.

So, there he is, bumping to a group of carefree elfings, gossiping the accident as if they know everything. If it is at any other time, Elrohir may just try to sneak up behind the elfings and gives them his pretend furious look…but he cannot do it today, his emotion will get the better of him and surely would not do any good. He has to flee.

&&&&&

It is dark when Elrohir gets back to the healing chamber. When he sits himself on the bedside, Elladan's eyes tiredly flip open. Elladan can see his twin's worry behind his anxious smile. Although his throat is too dry to say anything, he mouths 'I am sorry.' Elrohir then gives a mock angry look at Elladan and whispers "never protect me again." Elladan just smile back and not saying anything, he cannot promise that nonsense. Elrohir does not expecting an answer either, as he knows, he would just do the same to his twin.

The End

A/N: I'm not implying who is the stronger twin here, but I'd like to know your thoughts.

It's fascinating how fast you can write when there's a plot in your head. And it's equally fascinating how slow you can be to fix it to something 'readable' and understandable. Well, it may just prove how fresh an author I am.

Anyway, please review and tell me how you think about it, like it? Or not? I'll depend on your reviews to see if I should carry on writing, or I'd better shut up and continue to be a reader instead. Your encouragement would certainly help me to improve.


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